The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-22


unhcnrd uatil, sb-a2s.y sIrning a corner.
49, ss>'ssiscd oa.o.o 4 49,. a..oos house.
III had once been a somewhat prctentious
dwelling, bat had evidently followed the for.
tai'e5 g. - li.s oglcs. Doa Juan Briones,
who hal offered il US a LIST 40, 10 the three-
beaded ceri,r'is that f.,,.r l,si the Il Hefugio
Pmtonean treasures, aud who had swallowed
il in single galp. II was in very had case
The furrowl OF It's rol-tilsd roof looked us II
tney Were the resu.sS OF ace and decrepituda
its BEST room had musty smell; there was
the dampness OF deliquescence in its slow da-
cay, but the Spanish californians were sensi-
BILE architects, and its massive walls and mar
titions defied the earthquake thrill, and ali
the year round kept an even temperature
within
Victor led Miguel through a low ante room
into plainly furnished chamber, where Car
men sat painting.
Now Mistress Carmen was n bit of n
painter, in a pretty little way, with all the
vague longings of artist, but without, I
fear, the artists steadfast soul She recog-
nized beauty and form a child might, with
out understanding their meaning, and some
how failed Is make them even interpret her
woman's moods, which surely were natures,
too So she painted everything with this in.
nocent lust OF the eye-fiowers, birds, insects
Landscapes and fiy,ircs-with a joyous fidelity,
but no particular poetry. The birds never
sang TO her but one song, the flowers or tree.
spake but one language, and her skies never
frightened except in color. She came out
strong on the Catholic saints, and would toss
you up n cloanly shaver Aloysius, sweetly
destitute of expression, or "A dropsical, Iethar.
gic Madonna that you couldn't have told
from am old master, SO bad IL was. Her
faculty of faithful reproduction even showed
itself in fanciful lettering, and latterly in the
imitation Of fabrics and signatures. Indeed.
with her eye for beauty of form, she had al.
ways excelled in penmanship at the convent.
an accomplishment which the good sisters
held In great repute.
In person she was petite, with "A stin un
formed girlish figure, perhaps little too fiat
across tho back, and with possibly IA too great
tendency to "A boyish stride in walking. Her
brow, covered by blue-black hair, was lo,.
and frank and honest; her eyes, a very dark
hazel, were not particularly large, but rather
heavily frciShted in their melancholy lids
with slccpleSs passion; her nose was OF that UNI
important character which no man remem.
beers; her mouth was small and straight: he.
teeth white and regular. The whole expression
OF her face was piqnancy that might be sub
dued by tenderness or made malevolent by
anger. At present IL was a salad Ia which
the oil and vinegar were deftly combined
The astute feminine reader will of course un.
derstand that this Is the ordinary superficial
masculine criticism, and at once make up her
mind both rs 10 the character of the young
lady and the competency of the critic. only
know that rather liked her. And her func-
tons are somewhat important ia this ye-
racious history.
She looked up, started to her feet levelei
her black brows at the intruder, but, at a
sign from her uncle, showed her whiUA eth
and spake.
IL was only n sentence, and rathor "A COM
monplace one Mt that; but il she could have
put her voice upon her canvas. she might
have retrieved the Garcia fortunes. For il
was so musical, SO tender, sympathizing,
so melodious 20 replcte with tho graciousness
of womanhood, that she seemed TO have In
vented the language And yet that sentence
was only an exaggerated form of How dye
do whined out, doled out, lisped out, or shot
out from tho pretty mouths OF my fair coun-
trywomen.
struck particularly with n crnyon drawing OF
o mule. "Mother OF God, It Is - mule itself
observe how It will not CO." Then the crafty
Victor broke la with, "But it is nothing TO
her writing; LOOK, you shall tell TO mo which
is the handwriting OF Pio Pico;" and, from a
drawer in tho secretary, ho drew forth two
signatures. One was affixed 20 n yollowish
paper, the other drawn on plain white fools.
Al.
ern one with lover-like gallnntry. at IL this
Is genuine| Victor laughed triumpanntiy;
Carmen echoed the laugh melodiously in
childlilse gloe, and nddcl, with a slight toss
Of her piquant head, at Is minel" The best
of the sex will not REFUSE just and overdue
compliment from even the man they dislike.
It's the principle they're after, not the senti-
ment.
But Victor was not satisfied with this proof
of his niece's skill. "Say TO her" he demand
ed of Miguel, "what name thou likcst and ID
shall bc done before thee here" Miguel was
not 50 much in love but he perceived tho DRIFT
of Victors suggestion, and remarked that
the rubric Of Governor MiGholtorcna was ex-
ccedinsly complicated and difficult "She
shall do IT." responded Victor, with decision.
From "A file of old departmental papers the
governors signature and TINT involved rubric,
which must have cost his late excellency
many youthful days of anxiety, was produced
and laid before Carmen.
Carmen took her pen in her hand, looked
at the brownish-looking document, and then
at the virgin whteness of the foolscap before
her. "But," she said, pouting prettily, II
should have TO first paint this white paper
brown. And IL will absorb the ink more
quickly than that. When painted tho San
Antonio Of the Mission San Gabriel for
Father Acolti, had 10 put the decay in with
my oils and brushes before the good padre
would accept IT,"
The two scamgs looked at each other. IL
was their supreme moment Il think have"
said Victor, with ASSUMED carelessness, II
think have some Of tho old custom house
paper" lie produced from the secretary a
sheet Of brown paper with stamp TRY IL
on that"
Carmen smiled with childish delight, tried
IL, and PRODUCED mlryoll "It IL as magic,p
sail Miguel, fcigning % Cross himself
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$3.50 Hg